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10/2/2021

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One thing I like about building working with reclaimed

materials is how it gives my objects stories. The story

can be joy of discovery when I find something thrown out

(with a bit of added feeling of virtue of saving it from

the landfill)[1]. The story can be the bittersweet one of

using something that I only have because my grandparents

and father have passed, but for a moment I can be

reconnected to them[2]. There are even stories on top of

stories, as try to make parts of my builds modular and

thus reuse pieces over and over.

When I make a gift, I have to just store the memories in

my mind (or in my journal), but when I know what I am

making is for my own use, I like to take out a Sharpie

and write out the what the items used to be.

I've got a lot of use out the parts of a couch that used

to be in our living room. Most of it was chip board, but

there was even some real wood cross posts, one of which I

have been using as my pull up bar. Also one of the pieces

of chip board is now the fly wheel to my pump drill.

What's a piece on making without mentioning my pump drill?

[1] But I must admit the more important feeling to me is

the one of discovery . . . and of saving money.

[2] I want to emphasize both grandparents on my father's

side. My grandma was an artist and I use so many tools

of hers for layout and percision. My grandpa is where I

have my hoard of nails and tools that provide grip and

torque. I also have to mention his Swanson try square,

one of most used items in the shop. From my grandmother

the lesson was to be creative. From my grandfather, be

useful.

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I'd love to hear from people. My email is the handle minus

"net" (so, a work by Voltaire that starts with "c"), at

sdf.org.

While we're adding boiler plate: this work is in the public

domain. Do what you want with it.